


Hate to Love

by TiffanyF



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-06
Updated: 2013-02-05
Packaged: 2017-11-28 09:24:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/672821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiffanyF/pseuds/TiffanyF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niou and Yukimura are together, but for some reason Yukimura is ignoring Niou and so is the team. Except for Yagyuu. What's wrong and how in the world will it be resolved? Don't own, don't claim, no money made here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Yagyuu couldn’t help but be worried about his doubles partner and best friend. For the past month it seemed like the normally spiky and wild platinum hair had grown duller and less spiky until it finally laid flat against Niou’s head. His rat tail was undone more often than not and, the most worrying thing of all, he didn’t prank anyone at school or on the tennis team. It was like he was wandering through each day in a daze that only grew worse and worse until Yagyuu had to stop him walking into walls. At least he was able to still get dressed in the morning, the Gentleman had visions of his doubles partner walking into school in his pjs and having the whole school find out he slept in purple penguin sleep pants. It was a secret Yagyuu was sworn to keep.

But he couldn’t work out what was wrong. No one else seemed to be worried about the platinum haired Petenshi that was walking around as if he was dead. The teachers never seemed to expect much from Niou in the first place, other than trouble, and actually seemed relieved when things stopped. That he looked sick and didn’t talk even when spoken to didn’t seem to worry any of them. Yukimura didn’t seem to notice anything either. Not even when Niou missed an easy ball and fell over in a dead faint. Yagyuu ran to his partner and waited for the yelling to start, the laps to be assigned, for something to happen, but there was nothing. No one seemed to notice that Niou was passed out cold on the court.

Yagyuu started to wonder if he was dreaming, or maybe he had missed the latest memo to go around. (no, seriously, Yanagi put one out once a month with the latest data on everyone on the tennis team. It helped keep things moving as smoothly as they ever did). Even Yagyuu picking Niou up and carrying him towards the clubhouse failed to elicit a response from anyone on the team, not even Akaya, who normally would have been bouncing around all over the place to see what had happened. The Gentleman frowned and passed the clubhouse and continued on towards the school. The building would be empty and he could get Niou into the cool of the infirmary.

The nurse was already gone for the day, so Yagyuu made his way to the back and settled Niou gently on one of the beds, checking to make sure that he was breathing steadily and went to get a basin, some water and a towel. He wasn’t surprised when sea-green eyes were looking up at him when he came back into the curtained off area. “You’re the only one, huh?” Niou asked in the dead tone that he’d been using lately, when he spoke at all.

“The only one what?” Yagyuu asked. He sat down and dipped the towel in the tepid water. “Niou-kun, when was the last time you had anything to eat?”

“Dunno.”

“Let’s go for ramen after practice,” Yagyuu said. “It will be my treat.”

“I’m not hungry,” Niou replied closing his eyes. “I just want to sleep.”

“From the looks of things, Niou-kun, you haven’t been sleeping either. Tell me you have at least been staying hydrated.”

Niou managed a shrug and rolled over onto his side. “Nothing matters any more,” he said. 

“It seems that you need help, Niou-kun, and as I’m the one who seems to be concerned about you, I’ll make sure you eat and drink and get a good night’s sleep,” Yagyuu said firmly. “You should tell your parents you will be staying with me until further notice.”

“You shouldn’t worry so much, Yagyuu, it makes your nose wrinkle,” Niou said. “I’m not going to jump off the bridge or anything. You don’t need to worry about me. No one else is.”

“Yes, I’ve noticed,” Yagyuu said. “Why is that?”

“Yukimura.”

Yagyuu sighed and pushed his glasses up again. He shifted to sit on the bed and pulled Niou onto his back so he could look at his partner’s face. “I find it very hard to believe that your boyfriend ordered the team to ignore you, Niou-kun.”

For a moment it seemed like Niou was going to laugh. Yagyuu had missed his partner’s laugh, the chuckle that meant a plan was going perfectly to the cackle he always made when he managed to pull off an illusion on the tennis courts. He missed everything about his partner and wanted it back. There was just something very wrong about a depressed Petenshi. So Yagyuu was shocked when Niou broke into tears and rolled quickly away to hide his face in the pillow, embarrassed by the tears or being seen to be so weak Yagyuu couldn’t say. “Niou-kun!” he exclaimed.

“Just go away, Yagyuu, and leave me alone,” Niou managed.

“No,” Yagyuu said firmly. “This is not the time that you should be alone, Niou-kun, and I refuse to let you be when you’re in such a state.” He was at a loss of what to do, so he moved to lie down behind his partner and wrapped the only slightly smaller boy in a loose hug. “I want you back, Niou-kun. I’m worried about you.”

His words only seemed to make the sobs harder. Yagyuu was a Gentleman and thought that he knew what to do in any given situation, but he was lost. He had no idea what he was supposed to do when his best friend, one of the strongest boys around, was lying broken and crying on a bed in school. He didn’t know what had happened to make Niou so sad, but it seemed like mentioning Yukimura had been a mistake. But he had to know so he could help to fix it. He was serious. He wanted his platinum haired, spiky, rat-tailed, sarcastic, dangerous best friend back; not the ghost that seemed to have taken his place. “Tell me,” he whispered.

“I think he’s cheating on me,” Niou hiccuped. “He’s tired of me, Yagyuu, and he’s going to leave me just as soon as he works up the courage to tell me that everything is over. That it was a mistake.”

“Niou-kun.”

“Don’t tell me I’m seeing things,” Niou said.

“I would never say such a thing,” Yagyuu replied primly. “You know Yukimura better than anyone on the team, even the other demons. I just find it hard to believe that he would ignore your symptoms without asking what’s wrong.”

Niou tried to laugh, but another sob burst forth. “He knows what’s wrong. And the rest of the team knows he’s ignoring me, so they’re doing the same so they don’t piss him off and end up with laps or something. I asked Marui to borrow his notes for English a couple days ago and he acted like I wasn’t even there. He just turned towards the window and started talking to some kid that sits on the other side of him. Yanagi got up and left the lunchroom when I sat down next to him.”

Yagyuu was horrified by what he was hearing. “Niou-kun, this is,” he paused for a moment, “I can’t even think of a way to say it.”

“Wouldn’t want to make the Gentleman swear,” Niou said softly. “I just want to disappear, Yagyuu. No one would miss me if I did.”

“I would,” Yagyuu said firmly. “You’re my other half, Niou-kun.”

“You know you’re going to get into trouble, don’t you?”

“I don’t care. Tell me how you found out what’s going on.”

“He’s whispered another name during his climax five times,” Niou admitted softly. “And it’s one I recognize too. Another tennis player from another school. One who is good enough to catch Yukimura’s attention. I just don’t know how far he’s gone.”

Yagyuu was stunned almost into silence. “Niou-kun,” he whispered. He could only imagine the pain of hearing another name when in bed with a boyfriend. “Who?”

Niou whispered a name, one that Yagyuu knew as well. Probably everyone in the junior high tennis world knew. One that came as a complete surprise, until Yagyuu recalled the matches they had played the previous month.

“I still love him, Yagyuu,” Niou admitted. “Even with everything that’s been going on, I still love him and want him back. I want him to smile at me again. But it’s not going to happen. I might as well be dead for how the team is treating me.”

“Don’t think I won’t have a few things to say about that,” Yagyuu said. “Niou-kun, do you feel well enough to stay on your own for an hour or so at my house? I’m sure my mother would love to fuss over you a little and you need some care. Take a hot bath and go to sleep. Whatever you want to do, just be there when I get home.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I want to find out where Yukimura-kun is going after school,” Yagyuu said softly. “I promise I won’t say anything to him unless I have to, but I want to know exactly what he’s doing.”

Niou sighed. “You’ll come and hunt me down if I don’t, won’t you?”

“I will.”

“Fine, I’ll be at your place. Just be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Yagyuu tightened his arms for a moment. “I already am, because you’re hurting, Niou-kun. You’re me, after all. I’ll be home as soon as I can.”  
**************************

Yagyuu couldn’t recall the last time he had been so angry at another person. Niou had stood by Yukimura through the buchou’s long illness and recovery, visited the hospital every day to bring fresh flowers, new books, puzzles and movies, always trying to keep things fresh for Yukimura who hated being trapped in one place. He had run the fastest to get to the hospital after Kantou was over, not to bring the bad news to his boyfriend, but to see if the surgery had been a success. He had been braced for the worst, ready to stand by Yukimura no matter what, and had collapsed into Yagyuu’s arms when he learned that Yukimura would be able to play tennis again. Niou stood by during the long hard rehabilitation, taking the verbal abuse that Yukimura couldn’t yell at anyone else and couldn’t keep bottled up inside. He had been there through everything.

And now Yukimura was treating him like something that had died. He had hit at the one place that would hurt Niou more than anything else. Yagyuu knew what Niou’s home was like, how he was ignored by his parents unless he was in trouble for some reason, how he craved contact with his boyfriend and tennis team. To have that taken away would destroy the Petenshi, and had come close to doing so.

He was stunned when he walked back onto the tennis court and was met with a slap to the face. “Tarundoru!”

“What was that for, Sanada-kun?” Yagyuu asked adjusting his glasses.

“You left in the middle of practice,” Sanada replied. “Fifty laps.”

“In case you didn’t notice, Sanada-kun, I had to take Niou-kun to the infirmary because he passed out on the court,” Yagyuu said calmly. He never raised his voice unless he was Niou and he wasn’t about to start with the fukubuchou. Yukimura might be another matter. “Especially as no one else seemed to care what had happened to him.”

He had the pleasure of seeing Sanada flustered for a moment. “When did that happen?” Sanada finally asked.

“Just about the time you and Yukimura-kun came to our court to watch our game,” Yagyuu replied. “But I suppose you have a reason for not noticing or caring when one of your team collapses in the middle of practice. Or noticing when he’s been sick for a month and only just holding on to everything, including tennis practice so as not to let the team down.”

“Yagyuu, mind your tone.”

Under normal circumstances, Yagyuu would have at least flinched at the soft voice behind him. But he was mad enough not to care. He turned to Yukimura and crossed his arms over his chest. “No,” he said simply.

Yukimura blinked a couple of times. “No?” he finally asked.

“Yes, I believe that’s what I said,” Yagyuu replied. “Niou told me, Yukimura-kun. He told me everything and I am very disappointed in you.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand, Yagyuu,” Yukimura said. “What did Niou tell you?”

“Enough that I am very close to losing all respect for you,” Yagyuu said.

Yukimura sighed and pushed his hair out of his eyes. “Yagyuu, I’m afraid you’re the victim of an elaborate prank by the Petenshi,” he said. “I haven’t done anything recently that would cause such problems.”

“Two words for you, Yukimura-kun,” Yagyuu said leaning in closer. He whispered the name that Niou had told him and had the satisfaction of seeing fear flash in Yukimura’s blue eyes. “You didn’t think Niou-kun knew, did you?”

“Yagyuu, I don’t....”

“Then tell my why you’ve been ignoring him,” Yagyuu continued, interrupting his buchou. He took off his glasses, sea-green eyes almost identical to Niou’s flashing. “Tell me why he’s stopped eating, drinking and sleeping. Why he isn’t pranking anyone, paying attention in class or causing problems for the teachers. Why he hasn’t done his hair in over a week. Why he passed out cold on the tennis court today and no one noticed what had happened to him.”

“You have the wrong idea,” Yukimura said stepping back. He’d never seen Yagyuu get so upset and was scared. The Gentleman was predictable, but at the moment he was acting more like his other half, the Petenshi, and Niou was as unpredictable as they came. “It’s not like that.”

Yagyuu laughed, a hollow sound that sent chills through both Yukimura and Sanada. “You’re using him,” he said. “Niou-kun stood by you through the worst time of your life and now that you’re healthy again you’ve decided that you can just cast him aside and start dating someone else. You never cared about Niou-kun at all, did you, Yukimura-kun? Even though he showed you the side of himself that no one else ever gets to see. Not even me. The side that can and does love deeply. He was ready to quit tennis if you could never play again, quit the one thing that makes him truly happy to be with you. Niou-kun spoke with your parents about helping to care for you if things went wrong with the surgery and you ended up sicker than you had been before. He loves you, Yukimura-kun, and all you can do is hurt him.” His eyes narrowed as he took a step forward. “If I don’t see a change in behavior tomorrow from this team, you will regret it.”

“You are not the captain here,” Sanada began but froze when the cold eyes turned on him. He’d never seen Yagyuu so upset before, or so angry.

“Both of you stay way from Niou-kun,” Yagyuu said. “Yanagi-kun is more than capable of relaying orders and drills to us. You will not drive us off this team, Yukimura-kun, and I will not let you break Niou-kun any farther. I don’t know how long it will take for him to heal from this outrage you’ve committed on him, but when he does, I’m sure that he’ll have a few things he wants to say as well.”


	2. Chapter 2

Sanada’s stunned eyes followed Yagyuu as the Gentleman stormed off and finally turned to Yukimura. “What was that all about, Yukimura?” he asked.

“I wish I could tell you that I don’t know, but that would be a lie,” Yukimura replied softly. “Come and walk to the park with me, Sanada. I’ll tell you everything.”

The demon pair gathered up their bags in silence, leaving Yanagi to lock up the clubhouse and made their way towards the park. “It started during our matches with Shitenhoji last month,” Yukimura said, blue eyes fixed firmly on the sidewalk under his feet. “In watching one of their players, I found that I was fascinated and, when he gave me his contact information, I accepted and started chatting with him online. His tennis game is wonderful, Sanada, and you know how I feel about those who are perfect at tennis.”

“Of course,” Sanada replied.

“I am embarrassed to admit that it went farther than it should have, though it wasn’t unwanted,” Yukimura continued. “We both have web cameras and have done certain things together that, technically speaking, means that I have been cheating on my boyfriend.” He stopped and pressed a hand to his mouth, the other wrapping around his waist. “The wonderful boyfriend who has been with me through everything. The one that I really love and have hurt so badly. The boy I have probably lost forever because I’ve been so stupid.”

Sanada dropped his tennis bag and wrapped Yukimura in a tight hug. He hadn’t been expecting tears, Yukimura cried so rarely, but held him through the worst of the tremors. “How did Niou find out?” he asked softly.

“I don’t know, I tried to be careful and keep my conversations to myself, but Masaharu is the Petenshi and he always seems to know things that he shouldn’t. It’s one of the things I love about him.” Yukimura’s watery blue eyes gazed up at Sanada. “Do you think I have any chance of keeping him, Genichiro?”

“I don’t think it’s Niou you have to convince, Seiichi,” Sanada said. He relaxed his grip and pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to his best friend. “I think it’s Yagyuu and right now he’s mad enough to fight you. Seriously fight you and he would probably win too.”

“I’ve never seen him like that before,” Yukimura said. “He scared me.”

“Me too,” Sanada admitted. “What will you do, Seiichi?”

“I don’t know, other than talk to the regulars,” Yukimura sighed. “It’s unacceptable that they’ve been ignoring one of their own so callously, even if I have been doing the same. Masaharu relies on the regulars so much and it has to hurt him even more to have those friendships taken away. I can at least fix that much.”

Sanada guided Yukimura towards a bench and sat down. “Why haven’t you said something earlier?” he asked. “I mean, it’s been pretty obvious there’s something wrong with Niou and Renji and I were just waiting for you to say something.”

“I don’t know,” Yukimura said. He leaned forward and buried his face in the white linen. “This past week has been a nightmare for me. I’ve watched Masaharu fall apart so quickly and wanted to go to him and make it all right again, but at the same time I feel so drawn to the other boy that I didn’t want to talk with Masaharu until I knew exactly what was going on. I’ve ruined everything, Genichiro and I don’t know how to fix it.”

“I think the first thing to do is stop all contact with the other boy,” Sanada said. “Does he even know you have a boyfriend?”

“No, I never mentioned anything to him. I guess I just wasn’t thinking straight for any of this,” Yukimura said. “But I’ll tell him tonight. I’ll tell him that we can’t talk any more because it’s not right. I refuse to cheat on my boyfriend. Even if Masaharu doesn’t want me anymore, I refuse to fall into another boy’s arms like this. I have to make things right.”

Sanada wrapped an arm around Yukimura’s shoulders. “You should call Niou and let him know you saw what happened to him today and you hope he’s feeling better,” he said. “And tell him that you love him.”

“I’m scared,” Yukimura admitted.

“There’s no time to start planning like the present,” Sanada said. “You weren’t there when Niou woke up in the infirmary, Seiichi. You need to let him know you saw what happened and you’re worried about him.”

“I guess I have to, don’t I. Masaharu won’t make the first move to talk with me. Not after what happened on Monday.”

“Seiichi,” Sanada groaned. 

Yukimura bit back another sob. “I knocked him down on the stairs, Genichiro,” he whispered. “And didn’t even stop to make sure he was okay, just kept going to my class. But I could see the bruises and bandages that afternoon at practice, but didn’t know what to say to him so I just ignored it. I’ve been so horrible to him. I don’t deserve him back.”

Sanada bit back the remark that Yukimura was right, he didn’t deserve to have his boyfriend back after what he’d been doing. But he knew that saying it wouldn’t help anything and probably just make the situation worse. At least he knew what was going on, could tell Yanagi about it that evening and make sure that the team behaved while they were at school. He just didn’t think that slapping Yukimura would be such a good idea, no matter how much he wanted to. “You need to call him,” he said.

“Okay.” Yukimura wiped his face off and took a deep breath. He bent towards his tennis bag and dug around for his cell phone. It was the work of a moment to flip it open and hit the speed dial for Niou’s cell phone. Yukimura’s heart started pounding as it rang, both fearing and yearning to hear his boyfriend’s voice on the other end. But it went to voicemail. “Masaharu, it’s Seiichi. I just called to tell you how sorry I am for this past week, for everything that has happened and want to talk with you about it. My being a coward has screwed everything up and I don’t blame you for getting so sick. I saw you fall today and hope you’re feeling better. This is my fault and I’ll do anything and everything in my power to make it up to you. Please, when you get this, give me a call so we can talk. I love you, Masaharu, more than anything and want you back. If this past week has taught me anything, it’s that my life is complete with you next to me. Don’t worry about what time it is. I’ll be awaiting your call.”

“And?” Sanada asked when Yukimura closed the phone after ending the call.

“I want to do that face to face, or at least over the web camera,” Yukimura said. “I know you need to get home, Genichiro. I’m just going to sit here for a while and enjoy the evening. I’ll see you at practice tomorrow.”

“Are you sure you’re okay to be alone?”

“I will be fine,” Yukimura said. “Eventually.”  
*********************************

Sanada, under protest, left Yukimura on the bench in the park and started towards his house. He still wanted to smack the other boy and, if things didn’t straighten out soon, might actually go through with the desire. Niou wasn’t his favorite person most of the time, if only because of how unruly he could be, but he was a dedicated tennis player and extremely loyal to his team. Sanada hated that he’d let his devotion to Yukimura blind him to everything else. He’d been a bad fukubuchou and wouldn’t make the same mistake again. He’d never thought it possible, but maybe the team was too blindly loyal to Yukimura at times and it needed to stop. If the others were so prepared to shun one of their own just because Yukimura was doing the same then there was a deep problem on their team, one that he knew he wasn’t smart enough to fix. The regulars were too in awe of Yukimura to change how they acted around him, and Sanada wasn’t holding his breath that the lecture Yukimura had promised the next day would change that. 

“Renji?”

“Hello, Genichiro,” the Rikkai data master said falling into step with his best friend. “I knew you would have to come this way to get home and thought waiting for you would be the best thing.”

“Yukimura has seriously screwed up,” Sanada said bluntly. He wasn’t one to mince words. 

“This has something to do with Niou?”

“He’s been cheating on him, Renji, and regrets it now. He’s trying to make things right with Niou, but Yagyuu knows about it now and is livid.”

“Yes, I saw him speaking with you. I have to say that I have never seen that level of anger from him, not even when he’s playing as Niou,” Yanagi said. “But we are equally as guilty of ignoring Niou as Seiichi and the rest of the team. We will have to speak with him tomorrow and apologize.”

Sanada snorted.”You can, at least. Yagyuu said that he doesn’t want me or Seiichi near Niou and he was mad enough that I don’t think I want to push him right now,” he said. “And that’s if they even come to school tomorrow. Yagyuu says that Niou hasn’t been eating, drinking or sleeping and that’s the reason he’s so sick right now. It’s possible that they’ll stay home tomorrow to let Niou rest.”

“But would Yagyuu really skip school?”

“Renji, I’m worried he’s going to hop a train and go beat this other boy up,” Sanada admitted. “Niou knows who Seiichi has been talking with and he told Yagyuu.”

“Wait a moment, Genichiro, I’m confused,” Yanagi said. “You stated that Seiichi has been cheating on Niou, but just now you said talking with. There is a considerable difference between the two.”

“There are web cameras involved,” Sanada said, cheeks flushing a faint red. “I got the impression that there’s been no physical contact, but Seiichi did say that he technically cheated on his boyfriend, which means this mystery boy has seen some things that he shouldn’t.”

Yanagi was silent for a moment. “With web cameras involved, that means any number of things could have happened,” he finally said. “And none of them can be good if Niou knows what’s happening. There’s a 99% chance that he will collapse again, both physically and mentally if Seiichi doesn’t do something fast. What can we do to help?”

“I’m going to get the regulars back in line tomorrow,” Sanada said. “Seiichi said he would talk with them, but with how loyal the team is to him, I don’t know that they’ll change their behavior until he does and we need Niou and Yagyuu. I’m not just talking about tennis either, Renji. They are a large part of our team and important in more ways than just as doubles one. If Niou drops then Yagyuu will go with him and we’re in trouble.”

“Not the least of which I think it would destroy Seiichi,” Yanagi said. “How could he have been so stupid, Genichiro?”

“I almost smacked him.”

“I wish you had. It might have knocked some sense into him. I think the appropriate thing for us to do would be pay him a visit tomorrow after school and ensure that he has, indeed, stopped all contact with his mystery fascination. You didn’t happen to hear a name?”

“No, he just mentioned the boy is on the Shitenhoji team. And that his tennis play caught Yukimura’s attention.”

“That means there are about four boys to consider, one of whom I believe is in a relationship with his doubles partner and is too silly for Seiichi to consider for a potential love interest. The other three, however, are all worth researching,” Yanagi said. “I’ll go through my data tonight and see if I can narrow it down any closer. Unless Seiichi can be persuaded to give us the name.”

“I wouldn’t wait for that one,” Sanada sighed. “He’s embarrassed and hurt by what he’s done and I think he wants to keep this as much a secret as he can. You know Niou and Yagyuu won’t tell anyone else what’s happened.”

“True. Maybe I should meet Yagyuu tomorrow and walk to school with him so we can be sure that he doesn’t slip away onto a train and attack another team this close to Nationals. The situation is bad enough without the officials getting involved.”  
Sanada rubbed his eyes and adjusted his cap. “Especially as this other boy has no idea Seiichi has a boyfriend in the first place.”

“Then this is serious. I believe I will meet up with Yagyuu tomorrow, just to be on the safe side,” Yanagi said. “I shall call you if I find anything useful in my data, Genichiro. Otherwise I’ll just see you at practice in the morning. Oh, call me if you hear any more from Seiichi. The more information I have, the better my search will be.”

“I will, Renji,” Sanada said. “It seems like we’re going to be cleaning up another mess, doesn’t it?”

“I believe that’s part of our jobs, Genichiro,” Yanagi smiled. “I will see you tomorrow.”

Sanada nodded and turned to head towards his own house, lost in thought. Somehow it didn’t seem right, but he couldn’t put his finger on just what was bothering him so badly. He only hoped he could work it out before things blew up in their faces even worse than they already had.  
******************************  
Yukimura sat on the bench in the park until well after dark, not wanting to move. But he finally forced himself to get up and walk home, knowing his mother would worry about him if he was out too much later without calling first, and he didn’t trust his voice to try and phone her just then. 

He put his shoes away carefully, not wanting his younger sister to trip over them and hurt herself, and went up to his room. His tennis bag went into the closet and his uniform the hamper to be washed. Yukimura showered quickly and dressed in a pair of sweats before settling down at his computer. He wanted nothing more than to put off the conversation that was waiting for him, to tell his new friend that they couldn’t talk or see each other again because he had a boyfriend, one he had been hiding because he didn’t know what was going on, what he was doing. It was no excuse for what he had done, but it was where he would have to start. He took a deep breath and turned on his chat program, knowing that the other boy would be on there waiting for him. Their practice ended earlier than Rikkai’s and Yukimura had spent a long time in the park.

*Hey, there you are. I was getting worried.

*Sorry, something happened at practice today and I had to deal with it. One of my players fainted and it turns out that he hasn’t been taking care of himself.

*Bummer, is he okay?

*I don’t know. Can you turn on your web cam? There’s something I need to tell you that I don’t want to type out.

*Sure, hang on.

Yukimura turned on his own camera and waited, fists clenched in his lap. He didn’t know how he was going to do this. He had feelings for both boys and there was no way not to hurt one of them.

“Seiichi? You look horrible.”

“I’m glad I look as I feel then, Suke,” Yukimura replied looking at Shiraishi. “I have a confession to make. I’m sorry for not telling you this sooner, but I have a boyfriend.”

“I’m not surprised, as cute as you are,” Shiraishi replied. “Is that what’s bugging you?”

“He’s the one who collapsed at practice today, because he’s been worrying about me,” Yukimura said. “About when I was going to dump him for you.”

“He really loves you, then.”

“And I love him, Suke. I can’t keep doing this. I need to focus where my heart is, and that’s with my boyfriend. I wasn’t aware that he knew about you, but now that I am, I need to be able to assure him that he’s the one I want.”

“What are you going to do if he tells you to get lost?” Shiraishi asked. “After all, you’ve been hiding things from him. You know he’s got to doubt what your intentions are.”

“I know, but I have to try. I’m just sorry I wasn’t honest with you before, Suke. We never should have started what we were doing.”

Shiraishi’s hand vanished beneath the desk and Yukimura couldn’t help but follow it with his eyes. He knew what the other boy was doing and felt the stirrings in his own body. “It’s something we both wanted. My sometimes boyfriend is cool with it.”

“You shouldn’t treat Kenya like that,” Yukimura said. He shifted a little in his chair, trying to get comfortable. He couldn’t make his body not react to what Shiraishi was doing. 

“He knew what he was getting into when he got together with me.” Shiraishi paused for a moment and pushed back so Yukimura could see more of him. “I was thinking about coming to Tokyo this weekend and was hoping that you’d want to meet up with me. There’s a lot I can teach you that you can take back and use on your boyfriend.”

“No,” Yukimura said. “I refuse to hurt him again. Even if he never wants to talk to me again, I’m not going to do something that will hurt him more.”

“Touch yourself, Seiichi,” Shiraishi prompted wrapping his hand around his own erection and stroking it softly. “You want to, I can see it with how much you’re shifting around. You want to let that pressure out, don’t you?”

“I do, but not like this,” Yukimura said. “You should go and find Kenya and forget about everything that’s happened between us. I know I’m going to do my best to.”

Shiraishi laughed. “I’ll be here waiting when your boyfriend kicks you back to the curb,” he said. “Take care of yourself, Seiichi.”

Yukimura turned off his web camera quickly and typed in the few commands that would block Shiraishi from his email, IM and camera. He hated himself for feeling something so profound for a boy who was so blatantly cheating on his own boyfriend, and felt sorry for Kenya.   
He made his way to his bed and flopped down, sliding a slender hand under the waistband of his sweats. Yukimura closed his eyes and pictured Niou’s smirking face hovering over him, the wonderful sea-green eyes full of love as he stroked his erection, trying to mimic the way Niou always touched him. The Petenshi loved to tease and that trait carried over into bed. He let the tears fall as his climax hit, wondering if he would ever be lucky enough to have Niou Masaharu back in his bed again.


	3. Chapter 3

When Yagyuu got home, he grabbed some tea from the kitchen - as predicted his mother had been only too happy to fuss over Niou and had made not only tea but rice and broth for both boys - and went up to his room. He was surprised to find Niou lying curled up on the floor. “Niou-kun?”  
“I didn’t want to get your bed dirty,” Niou replied.  
“Nonsense,” Yagyuu said. “Come on, let’s go take a bath and get cleaned up if you’re so worried about it, but there’s food in the kitchen that we need to eat as well.”  
“I’m not hungry.”  
“Too bad. Come on.”  
Niou climbed slowly to his feet, obviously off-balance and it only made Yagyuu worry more. He wished he could get his best friend to tell him exactly when the last time he ate was, if only to know how much trouble they were going to have that night with Niou’s stomach. He knew it was highly likely that Niou wouldn’t be able to keep dinner down the first time around and would have to fight with the other boy to get him to eat again. “Niou-kun, how do you feel about staying home tomorrow to rest?”  
The Petenshi shrugged and pulled off his tennis jersey, letting it fall to the floor of the bathroom, and revealing his ribs. Yagyuu was stunned at how much weight Niou had lost and knew that it had been more than a week since he’d eaten anything substantial. “Niou-kun, how long have you been fasting?”  
“Can’t remember.” Niou stepped into the shower and slumped down on the floor. He had no energy left, not even to pretend that he did. He didn’t care what happened to him, even if he died. Not if it meant he could finally get some sleep and not feel anything.  
Yagyuu stepped in behind Niou and moved him around a little so the wall was still supporting most of his weight, but so Yagyuu could get him cleaned off. “I spoke with Yukimura-kun and Sanada-kun,” he said softly. “I told them to stay away from the both of us and, basically, to shape up. Yukimura-kun tried to pretend that he didn’t know what I was talking about and Sanada-kun was clueless.”  
“Bet he blamed everything on me.”  
“I am exceedingly mad at them both, Niou-kun,” Yagyuu said. “At the whole team and I might take a page out of Sanada-kun’s book soon if they don’t start behaving themselves a little better. Friends do not treat each other like this.”  
Niou snorted and sneezed, he’d gotten some shampoo in his nose. “Guess they aren’t really my friends then, huh. Just you.”  
“I told you, Niou-kun, that you are more than my best friend, you are my other half and to see you hurting so badly makes me hurt as well.” Yagyuu rinsed Niou’s hair and added some conditioner, carding it carefully through the platinum strands. “We will show them all how strong you are, Niou-kun, but you have to eat and rest or you won’t be able to play for a while and I know how much that’ll hurt you.”  
Niou leaned his head on the wall. “It hurts to see him, Yagyuu. He’s so happy on the tennis court, that he’s back on the tennis courts, and he’s been ignoring me.” He held up a thin arm with a bandage wrapped around it. “He did this.”  
“What?”  
“I was coming down the stairs and saw him as he was coming up heading to his classroom and stopped to talk to him and he knocked me down,” Niou said. “I didn’t sprain or break anything, but the nurse said I needed to be careful for a couple of days so I didn’t hurt myself worse. And he didn’t even stop to see if I was okay, just kept going up the stairs like nothing had happened and left me there alone. I haven’t talked to him in almost two weeks, but last week at least he was still willing to tell me good morning and make excuses why he couldn’t see me. Now I could be invisible for all the attention he’s paid me.”  
It was the most Yagyuu had heard Niou say in weeks and it didn’t even sound like him. The tone of voice was dead, no intonation, inflection or emotion. Yagyuu didn’t have to look to know that the sea-green eyes would be just as dead. He didn’t know what Yukimura thought he was doing, but he was livid. “Niou-kun,” he said softly squatting down next to his best friend. “The offer stands to skip school tomorrow.”  
“Okay,” Niou said. He closed his eyes and shifted a little. “Just gonna stay here.”  
“I’ll take care of you, Niou-kun,” Yagyuu said. “I promise.”  
***************************  
Yagyuu dried and styled the platinum hair a little before tucking Niou into a pair of pajama pants and bed. “You need to eat, Niou,” he said softly. “Do you feel up to sipping some broth before we go to sleep?”  
“First time you’ve called me that,” Niou said. “I like it.”  
“I would say it’s probably past time,” Yagyuu said with a small smile. “Now answer the question or do I need to have my father come up here to talk with you or take you to the hospital?”  
“I’ll try.”  
“Then I’ll be right back.” Yagyuu bit back a sigh and left to head downstairs. He knew his parents would be upset with him missing school, but he didn’t want to risk Niou vanishing while he was gone. Tennis practice might be a little harder to deal with, but Yagyuu figured that Yukimura would welcome the break from his doubles one pair to figure out what he was going to tell the team and get them back into shape before Yagyuu returned to act on his threat.   
When people looked at Niou Masaharu and Yagyuu Hiroshi they saw two completely different boys, the most unlikely pair to be best friends or doubles partners in tennis, and always underestimated them. Niou liked calling attention to himself, but he was, at heart, a serious student and tennis player. He just happened to be so good at both that he didn’t need to study and devoted his time to pranks that, if people would actually look at what he did rather than getting mad at him immediately, were beyond elaborate and detailed to almost genius level. There were never any traces left behind to link the prank back to Niou unless he wanted it to and Yagyuu always admired the attention to detail that went into pranks and tennis. Yagyuu was the powerhouse of their team; Niou was the analyst, the brain, the one who worked out the weakness of the other player and the best way for them to use it against them. Niou was the loud and unpredictable one. Yagyuu, on the other hand, was the one who was the perfect student, polite, quiet, unassuming, the Gentleman of the school. He took pride in being able to fool everyone but Niou with his act every day. He enjoyed being polite because it meant that he was able to get things that others wouldn’t be able to, like favors from the teachers because they would never believe that Yagyuu Hiroshi would lie to them. At heart though, he was just as wild and unpredictable as his doubles partner and he loved being able to let that side lose when he was acting or playing as Niou. That he had slipped earlier that day didn’t worry him. He was too concerned about Niou to care what Yukimura or Sanada thought of his actions towards them. Yagyuu put together a tray of food, adding some sliced pork for himself, and returned to his room.   
Niou was completely buried under the blankets when Yagyuu got back. Yagyuu sighed and kicked the door shut behind him, setting the tray down on his bedside table. “Niou, you have to sit up to eat,” he said.  
“Why would he do something like this, Yagyuu?” Niou asked. “Am I really so boring?”  
Yagyuu smiled fondly at his best friend and handed him a bowl of broth. “Sip this slowly to allow your stomach time to adjust. You’ll probably have some cramps anyway,” he said. He climbed onto the bed and leaned against the wall, tray on his lap. “You are not boring, Niou. In fact, I believe that is the last word anyone would associate with your name.”  
“Then why?” Niou asked.  
“I wish I knew the answer to that, but I suspect that not even Yukimura-kun knows exactly why he’s been cheating. Do you want to call him, Niou? Remember that I told both him and Sanada-kun to keep away from us.”  
Niou shook his head and took another small sip of the chicken broth Yagyuu’s mother had made just for him. He really liked both of Yagyuu’s parents, not the least for giving him a chance. Most adults just looked at him like he was sick or crazy and automatically assumed he was a problem. He knew that he’d shocked both when Yagyuu had him over for dinner the first time, but Yagyuu’s father had questioned him about school and tennis and, for the first time, Niou had seen the spark of approval in an adult’s eyes.  
“What do you want to do about the rest of the regulars?” Yagyuu asked.  
“Whatever,” Niou said. He winced and put the broth on the table. “I can’t do it.”  
“Niou, it’s possible you might have to go to the hospital for a couple of days,” Yagyuu said. “Would you do it if I went with you?”  
“Yeah,” Niou said and shuffled carefully back under the blankets.  
“Let me talk with my dad and see what he can do then,” Yagyuu said. “I just want you healthy and happy, Niou. I’ll do everything in my power to make it happen.”  
***********************  
Yagyuu found his father in his home office and explained what was going on in as much detail as he could. The senior Yagyuu listened carefully and then hurried upstairs to check on his son’s best friend. It didn’t take him long at all to see that the situation was actually worse than his son believed, and he bundled both boys into the car immediately. It wasn’t long after that Niou was checked into the hospital under Yagyuu-san’s care.  
Yagyuu was horrified at the sheer number of IVs that were ordered for Niou. He’d known his best friend was sick, but hadn’t realized how sick until they were alone in the hospital room. “Oh, Niou,” he said softly. “I’m glad you were willing to trust enough to help you. I just wish I’d noticed sooner. I don’t think I would survive losing my other half.”  
Niou shifted but didn’t wake up. He’d been drugged so he would sleep and let his body rest while the IVs started working. Yagyuu’s father had estimated that Niou would be in the hospital for about a week and he had hopes for a full recovery with a lot of hard work. The worst part of it would be teaching Niou to eat again. There would be cramps and other problems to deal with, but Yagyuu knew they weren’t alone. His family would help them out and they would get Niou healthy again. He just didn’t know how they were going to heal his broken heart.  
With a small sigh Yagyuu slipped into the hospital bed next to Niou and pulled the other boy into a careful hug. He had permission to share the bed as long as he was careful of the IVs and other tubes and machines connected to Niou. He sighed again and fell into an uneasy sleep, too worried about his best friend to drift off completely.


	4. Chapter 4

As he had planned, Yanagi left early so he would be able to stop at Yagyuu’s house to walk the other boy to school. While he hadn’t thought Yagyuu was the type to go off and beat someone up, he’d been forced to update his data on the Gentleman yet again. None of the demons had ever witnessed such cold, exacting anger from Yagyuu before and it had scared all of them.

After speaking with Yagyuu’s father, Yanagi thanked him for the information and promised to tell everyone else, while his heart sank even further. He bowed and took his leave, feeling ill himself that he had behaved in such a manner.

“Renji.”

“Good morning, Genichiro.”

“What’s happened now?” Sanada asked falling into step next to the data master. “I thought you were meeting up with Yagyuu this morning.”

“I planned on it and went to his house,” Yanagi replied. “And spoke with Yagyuu’s father. They had to take Niou to the hospital last night, Genichiro. He has been placed on seven IVs, a heart monitor, catheter and medicine to keep him asleep for at least two days while he body starts to heal. He will be there for two weeks minimum and Yagyuu-san is worried about what will happen when he starts to eat again. His exact word when speaking of Niou is skeletal.”

“How did we miss this, Renji?”

“Niou hasn’t been changing in the clubhouse for at least a month,” Yanagi sighed. “I asked Seiichi about it, but he just said it was nothing and not to worry about it. I received the same answer each time I asked about Niou and some change in his appearance. It would seem that we have learned a valuable lesson here, and that it it’s vital to pay attention to our friends, not just trust one blindly.”

“Tarundoru,” Sanada muttered pulling his cap down. “Will you back me today, Renji?”

Yanagi smiled. “As long as you don’t plan to kill Seiichi, then yes, I will,” he said. “Right now we are the only hope the team has to pull together in time for Nationals. We cannot allow any more lapses, Genichiro.”

“We won’t,” Sanada promised.  
*********************

The remaining regulars were on the court stretching when Sanada stormed out of the clubhouse. “Everyone line up,” he snapped.

It didn’t escape his notice that everyone looked over at Yukimura for permission before moving into their usual places. “You too, Yukimura,” Sanada said folding his arms over his chest.

“Me too, what, Sanada?” Yukimura asked with a soft, lethal smile.

“Get in line with the others,” Sanada replied not even blinking. “I have something to say that I refuse to repeat and want to be sure that everyone remembers until their dying breath.”

Yukimura looked furious but Sanada found that he really didn’t care. The blue-haired buchou was showing no signs of not having slept and looked as normal as ever. Sanada took a deep breath and looked along the line. “I am ashamed to be a member of this team,” Sanada said. He moved to one end of the line and stopped in front of Jackal. “I am ashamed of each of you and, most of all, I am ashamed of myself. Tarundoru!” He slapped Jackal hard enough to take the gentle boy to the ground and moved onto Marui, Akaya, Yanagi and finally Yukimura.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Yukimura hissed just before the slap fell on his left cheek and he tumbled to the ground from the force of it.

“Renji,” Sanada snapped, putting his hands behind his back.

Yanagi picked himself up and walked over to his best friend, slapping him as hard as he could. Sanada’s good balance kept him on his feet and he nodded.

“What was that for?” Marui asked rubbing his cheek.

“Abandoning a friend and team mate when he needed you the most,” Sanada replied. “I am as guilty of this as all of you, maybe more so because I am the fukubuchou of this team. Renji.”

“I went to Yagyuu’s this morning for a dual purpose,” Yanagi said, his eyes open and focused on Yukimura. “I wanted to see how Niou was doing and walk to school with Yagyuu for my own reasons. To my shock, I learned that Niou is in the hospital under strict care.”

Yukimura, who had just finished brushing off his jersey after the fall caused by the slap, felt his knees give out under him and he collapsed back to the ground, one hand to his mouth, his eyes wide with shock. “No,” he whispered. “No, it’s not possible.”

“It was my impression that had Yagyuu-san not taken Niou to the hospital last night, the Petenshi would have died within the week,” Yanagi continued. “He is being kept unconscious for now to allow his multiple IVs to work, but Yagyuu-san stressed that the battle is just starting and it will be a long one. It is possible that Niou may never play tennis again.”

Sanada ignored Yukimura’s whispered denials and looked at each of the regulars in turn, pleased to see a flinch when he met their eyes. “This is our fault,” he barked. “Each of us, myself included, drove Niou to this state and it is unacceptable.”

“We were just following Yukimura-buchou’s example,” Akaya said rubbing his cheek. It always seemed like Sanada slapped him extra hard. He flinched back when Sanada raised his hand threatening another slap.

“Sanada,” Yukimura snapped. “You cannot hit Akaya for telling the truth. The team was following my lead and you cannot blame them for that. I am their buchou.”

“We are not mindless slaves!” Sanada yelled. “Can anyone here tell me they did not see Niou’s pain and turn away from him when he needed us the most? Why were we all so quick to ignore him when he is a member of this team?”

Yukimura gave up trying to stand and slumped back to the ground. His beloved Niou was in the hospital at death’s door and no one had bothered to call him about it. He wanted to get up and run to the hospital, see Niou and never leave him again, but he couldn’t get his legs to work. Or his eyes. Everything was blurry and out of focus. He didn’t know what to do, what he should do. It was such a mess and he didn’t know what to do to fix it. Yukimura rolled to his side and curled up in as tight a ball as he could manage and let the tears fall.

“Seiichi, falling apart will not help matters any,” Yanagi said softly squatting down next to his friend. “And there is an 89% chance you are scaring Akaya. Come on, let’s go into the clubhouse. Genichiro will mind things here.”

Yanagi stood and pulled the other boy to his feet, helping him towards the clubhouse where they would be away from prying eyes and could talk. He wasn’t sure what Sanada was going to do to make the regulars straighten up, but had a feeling laps were a major feature in his plan. “You are our buchou, Seiichi, but I fear I must side with Genichiro in that this blind loyalty is too extreme. Yagyuu is the only one who was willing to defy you and he got slapped by Sanada and lectured. There has to be a change.”

“This is all my fault, Renji,” Yukimura said sinking down onto the couch. “Tell me how to fix it.”

“Under normal circumstances I would say to go to the hospital and see Niou,” Yanagi said trying not to sigh. “However, given your behavior recently coupled with your lie to Yagyuu and his warning yesterday, I do not believe that is the wisest course of action, even with Niou unconscious. The same holds true for Genichiro. Let me go and talk with Yagyuu and see if he will relent a little and allow you to visit Niou.”

“Thank you, Renji, but I doubt he will. You didn’t see the look in his eyes yesterday. I truly believes he hates me.”

“We will have to hope it hasn’t come to that,” Yanagi said. “Are you planning to remain here, Seiichi?”

Yukimura nodded. “It’s bad enough the team saw me break down,” he said. “I can’t run the risk of allowing the rest of the school seeing such weakness in me. It was bad enough when I was sick.”

“Then I will be back as soon as I can. Oh yes, may I assure Yagyuu that you have cut all ties with this mystery Shitenhoji player? I believe there is a 100% chance that will be a major sticking point with both of them.”

“I have him blocked from everything on my computer,” Yukimura replied. “I’m not going to seek him out again. My heart belongs to Niou. I just hope I still have a chance to tell him that myself.”  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yagyuu had just finished the breakfast his mother had sent - along with his school books for later in the day - when there was a soft knock on the door and it opened enough for Yanagi to peek in. “May I?”

“Sure,” Yagyuu said. “Niou is still sleeping.”

“I spoke with your father this morning and he told me what had occurred. I wish I could tell you how guilty I feel about my part in this tragedy, Yagyuu. Genichiro took the team in hand this morning and will no doubt have them back in line in no time.”

“I noticed the bruise,” Yagyuu said. “The regulars will be surprised by my actions if they have not shaped up by the time Niou and I return. I do not plan to leave his side until he is completely recovered.”

“That will only be to his benefit. Yagyuu, Seiichi wants to come talk with Niou. He deeply regrets his actions and promises me he has severed all contact with the other boy.”

The way the light glinted off of Yagyuu’s glasses made Yanagi flinch, but he took a deep breath and continued. “Seiichi had a breakdown in front of the regulars today, Yagyuu. I can assure you all his reactions were real, as was the depth of his grief and despair when he learned what happened to Niou. If there is any chance of Niou forgiving Seiichi or Seiichi’s presence aiding in Niou’s recovery, then don’t you think that allowing them to see each other would be beneficial?”

“What do you know about Shiraishi Kuranosuke?” Yagyuu asked.

“The buchou of the Shitenhoji team, he is known for playing perfect tennis and is known as his team’s bible,” Yanagi replied. “No one knows why he wears bandages on his left arm although it does not seem to be an injury. He seemed to enjoy the cola Sadaharu made, much to Sadaharu’s dismay.”

Yagyuu shook his head. “The famous Inui juice.”

“In moderation, it is actually quite good,” Yanagi said. “He is also quite persistent in attempting to get what he wants; and I believe I see your point.”

“Even if Yukimura-kun has cut off all his ties to Shiraishi-kun, it’s likely that the reverse isn’t true and there will still be contact,” Yagyuu said. “My father and I both fear a mental collapse if Niou is placed under any further strain.”

“What about allowing Seiichi supervised visits while Niou is here?” Yanagi asked. “It would allow them time to talk while also allowing Seiichi to see and understand the full impact of his actions. There is an 82% chance it will only strengthen his resolve to stay away from shiraishi.”

“We’ll have to ask my father,” Yagyuu said. “Niou can still hear us and I don’t want to do anything that will risk him further.”

“Nor do I. As I said, I am deeply ashamed of my actions and regret my behavior towards Niou this past month. and that is only part of the reason I’m willing to anything to help him heal. He is my friend and I want him to know that.”

The light glinted off Yagyuu’s glasses, making Yanagi wonder exactly how the Gentleman managed to have light convey emotions so clearly. “If you were a true friend, Yanagi-kun, you would have helped Niou instead of ignoring and avoiding him.”

“I admit that I listened to Seiichi when I shouldn’t have, but I won’t again. This has taught me a valuable lesson, one that I will never forget.” Yanagi paused and looked at Niou. “He doesn’t look peaceful.”

“He’s had his boyfriend more or less dump him, his team turn on him and stopped caring about life,” Yagyuu said. He stood and went to stand next to the bed. He smiled at Niou fondly and ran his fingers through the clean platinum hair. “The only thing he knows for sure is that my family and I are here to help him.”

“Yagyuu, do you love Niou?”

“He’s my other half, Yanagi-kun. But no, I harbor no romantic feelings for Niou. And he knows this. We know everything about the other.” He paused when Niou shifted and watched until the Petenshi had settled again. “My father should be in his office. Go ask him about Yukimura-kun. He’ll tell me his decision when he comes to check on Niou.”

“Would you like me to remain a moment so you can step out to the bathroom?”

“Thank you, but no. I’ll take a break when my father is here. I’ll see you later, Yanagi-kun.”  
**************************

Yanagi spoke with Yagyuu’s at great length and also obtained permission for Yukimura to visit, provided that Yagyuu was in the room the whole time Yukimura was. Yanagi was quick to reassure Yagyuu-san that they didn’t want to do anything that would cause Niou more pain or risk.

He spent the walk back to the school turning the new information over in his mind. Yanagi never really paid attention to the doubles one pair off the court and realized that he had missed a lot of valuable data. Not the least of which had been how much Yagyuu hid behind his Gentleman facade. With a small sigh he realized he would have to spend more time updating his data. At least it kept him busy.

The regulars were running laps when Yanagi got to the tennis courts. He nodded to himself when he saw Sanada with them and made a note to ask how many laps they were running so he could make them up. Yanagi waved to Sanada and made his way into the clubhouse. “Seiichi?”

Yukimura was lying on the sofa holding a jacket that Yanagi recognized almost immediately as Niou’s. The Petenshi must have left it behind by accident. None of them would dare be out of uniform for any reason. “How did he look, Renji?” he asked sitting up. “What did Yagyuu say?”

“He looks like he should be dead, Seiichi,” Yanagi replied bluntly. “In ceasing to change in the clubhouse with the rest of the regulars, Niou was able to hide how much weight he has, in fact, lost. I am astounded he’s managed to play at his normal level with no fuel for his body, but it also explains the severe weight loss. I spoke with Yagyuu-san in depth to understand exactly what has happened with Niou, and it is not good.”

“Tell me.”

“There is concern about his kidneys and liver,” Yanagi said. “Niou not only fasted, but wasn’t drinking enough fluids to stay hydrated. Yagyuu-san said Niou was tired of living and was just waiting for his body to shut down. If not for Yagyuu it would have happened within the week. Even now, they are worried about his mental and physical state when he wakes up.”

“Will they let me see him?”

“There are restrictions. Niou is in a drug induced coma to allow his body time to readjust to a normal fluid intake and also so they can monitor him closely to watch his heart, liver and kidneys,” Yanagi said. “I am assured that he is still able to hear everything around him which means that if anything you say causes his heart or breathing rates to change dramatically, you’ll have to leave. However, Yagyuu-san admits we won’t know if it’s a positive or negative reaction while Niou is unconscious, so you have permission to return once Niou is awake. All visits are to be supervised by Yagyuu, and I would suggest you talk with him as well. We cannot risk being at odds with each other this close to Nationals.”

“I wouldn’t blame Yagyuu in the least if he hates me now, Renji,” Yukimura said. He wiped his eyes and slipped on Niou’s jacket instead of his own. “I hate myself.”  
***********************

Yagyuu finished his history homework and shut the book with a sigh. “It’s a good thing we learned everything about the other, Niou,” he said as he pulled out a clean piece of paper and switched to his pen to his left hand. “Although if you ever tell anyone that I did your homework for a week, I’ll tell mother how her white roses ended up purple.” He paused for a moment. “Actually, I think she knows and likes them better now. still, we shall have to review everything, especially this kanji list, though I have no doubt you already know some of them.”

He paused as the soft tap on the door and waited for it to open. When, after several minutes it still hadn’t, he sighed and stood. As he’d thought, Yukimura was on the other side. “Yukimura-kun.”

“Renji told me the rules, Yagyuu,” Yukimura replied softly. “May I come in?”

“I am only doing this because of one thing, Yukimura-kun,” Yagyuu said as he stepped to the side to let the other boy into the room. “And that is because Niou told me that in spite of everything he’s been through and how you’ve treated him, he still loves you and wants to be with you.”

Yukimura was about to reply when he got his first glimpse of the boy in the bed. Niou was about the same color as the sheets and Yagyuu’s care was the only reason his hair looked close to normal. There were pain lines by his closed eyes and around his mouth showing that there was no peace for Niou even in sleep. Yagyuu moved around Yukimura to the other side of the bed and adjusted the blankets a little. “This is not painless for him, no matter how much I wish it were,” he said. “And my father says pain killers will only harm him more, especially if his kidneys are not functioning correctly. Still, he looks better today than he did yesterday.”

“Better?” Yukimura whispered.

“Not much, but his skin doesn’t look as much like paper as it did. Father says it will be months before we know how many problems he’ll have with his health, if he’ll ever be able to play tennis at his former level, but he should be healthy to at least attend Nationals.”

Yukimura walked slowly to the bed and looked down at his boyfriend. “How can he still love me?” he asked. “Is it all right for me to touch his hand?”

“Mind the IVs.”

“Masaharu,” Yukimura said softly threading his fingers through Niou’s. “I was waiting for you to call me last night, but I understand why you couldn’t. I’m not even sure you got my message, but I am so sorry for all the pain I’ve put you through. My confusion was no reason for me to pull away like I did, and it was unfair to you. When you wake up I’ll tell you everything if you want to hear it, but I need you to remember that I love you. I never stopped loving you. I gave you my heart a long time ago, my Petenshi, and never took it back, and don’t want to. You are the only one I want at my side for as long as we have together.”

Yagyuu watched Niou closely while Yukimura was talking, but didn’t see any signs of distress or problems. “Do you know his greatest fear, Yukimura-kun?”

“No.”

“That you were working up the nerve to dump him,” Yagyuu said. “That you considered everything you had with him a mistake.”

“Never!”

“Were you cheating on him?” Yagyuu asked. He ran his fingers through Niou’s hair.

“I never touched or let Shiraishi touch me,” Yukimura replied. “But some of the things we did over the web cameras comes under the definition of cheating.” He paused and wiped his eyes with his free hand. “I swear that I’ve blocked him from my computer and I will never talk with him again. Masaharu is the one I love.”

“You must have felt something for him,” Yagyuu said, the light glinting off his glasses. “How do you think Niou figured out you were cheating on him, Yukimura-kun?”

Yukimura caught the change in tone and looked at Yagyuu. “I don’t know, Yagyuu,” he said. “Masaharu has a way of learning secrets, one I’ve never worked out, and just assumed that was how.”

“Niou has never shared any details of your relationship with me, but based off the questions he asked my father when the two of you began dating, I know that Niou is the submissive partner. I don’t know or want to know what positions you favor, but you said Shiraishi-kun’s name on five separate occasions.”

“I didn’t,” Yukimura whispered, horror struck. He let go of Niou’s hand and staggered back into the chair. “I couldn’t have.”

“I believe that, when combined with how you and the rest of the team were treating him, is what ultimately led to this,” Yagyuu said. He looked down at Niou and his face softened. “I cannot imagine the pain of feeling your boyfriend’s climax and hearing another boy’s name. I am as guilty as everyone else for not taking Niou in hand sooner, but his acting is still good enough to fool even me at times.”

“Why didn’t he say something to me?”

“Would you have listened? I was under the impression that all you’ve said to Niou recently is good morning, I’m too busy to see you today, your form is horrible, run laps and don’t mimic Marui during a match against him as it’s too confusing for everyone,” Yagyuu said. “And even that stopped last week. Why wouldn’t you talk to him?”

Yukimura pulled the chair closer to the bed and took Niou’s hand again. “I was trying to work out what I was feeling for him and Shiraishi,” he said. “And I foolishly thought removing myself from Masaharu would help me. But all I did was hurt him.”

“What about the regulars?” Yagyuu asked. “Why did you allow them to ignore Niou like they did? You know what his home is like and how much he relies on all of us to be his family. He lost everything in a short period of time, and I almost lost him. If he hadn’t collapsed when he did, he would have died and I would be half dead.”

“Sanada beat me to it, but I had planned to talk with everyone today,” Yukimura said. He touched his left cheek. “He even slapped me in front of the team. But it was Renji telling me that Masaharu was in the hospital that really slapped me. I just want to make this right, Yagyuu. As you pointed out, Masaharu was there for me every day when I was sick. Please let me do the same for him.”

Niou shifted a little causing the conversation to pause until he was settled again. Yagyuu gently tucked Niou’s left foot back under the covers and pulled the blankets back into place. Then he checked the IV connections like the nurse had shown him and adjusted the pillows, aware of Yukimura’s gaze the whole time. Yagyuu almost laughed when he realized Yukimura was jealous. “Do you know what I fear the most, Yukimura-kun?”

“Losing Masaharu.”

“I do not think that Shiraishi-kun is going to let things end like this,” Yagyuu said. “In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he showed up within the week looking for you. How will you convince Niou not only that you’re sorry, but you won’t leave him for another boy once he’s healthy again?”

“I don’t know other than keep my word that he’s the only one I want.”

Yagyuu sighed and sat down on the bed next to Niou. “Please do not insult our intelligence with such lies, Yukimura-kun,” he said. “Your actions over the past month, and especially this past week prove that Niou is not the only one you want.”

Yukimura’s eyes filled with tears. “I know I’ve been horrible to Masaharu and drove him to death’s door,” he said. “I know that it’s my fault the team deserted him and he felt like he had no one left to turn to. But you don’t have to keep throwing it back in my face like this, Yagyuu.”

“My only concern is making sure Niou recovers and is happy again,” Yagyuu said. “i will not let him die, no matter how much he might want to because of your selfishness, Yukimura-kun. I would suggest you go home and think about what you want to say to Niou when he’s awake. I’ll make sure someone notifies you when that happens.”


	5. Chapter 5

When Yukimura left the hospital he didn’t have a firm destination in mind and just walked while he was lost in thought. He knew the most important thing he had to do was apologize to Niou and prove that he still loved his Petenshi. Yukimura wasn’t sure exactly when Niou worked out that there was something wrong in their relationship, but he’d learned never to underestimate Niou Masaharu.

He would never be able to forget the first time he saw Niou. It was on their first day of school at Rikkai and they were signing up for tennis. Yukimura was already well known and had been swept away by the upper classmen to play a match while the other seventh graders were left to pick up balls and run errands. He’d noticed the platinum haired boy in the crowd but, like everyone else, hadn’t paid him too much attention. it wasn’t until practice was over and three boys somehow got tangled up in the net they were supposed to be taking down that Yukimura had a sense that the platinum haired boy was somehow responsible; and remarkable. He had glanced around and saw the boy on one of the grassy hills watching the scene with no trace of emotion, and had gone to join him.

Niou Masaharu was the first boy to join his group. Sanada and Yanagi were next, followed by Yagyuu. And Niou was always happy to stay in the background, letting the demons rule and adding his support in very mysterious ways.

Yukimura wasn’t sure when he had fallen in love with Niou, but he realized one day early in their second year that he wanted to love and keep the Petenshi for himself. And he’d been so happy when he realized that his feelings were returned. That, for once, Niou wasn’t playing a prank on him, but truly loved him in return.

So, when and why had things gone sour? He knew he had to have some answers for Niou, for himself. Yukimura looked around and realized he’d walked to the park and rose bushes where Niou had kissed him for the first time. He wiped the tears out of his eyes and sank down next to Niou’s favorite rose bush. He had to work everything out before Niou woke up.  
**********************

Yagyuu was reading a book aloud for their English class when there was a tap at the door that could only be one person. He used his finger to mark his place and watched the door open to admit Sanada. He really wasn’t surprised to see the fukubuchou, even with the warning he’d given the day before. “Sanada-kun.”

“I wasn’t sure if I should come or not,” Sanada said tugging on his black cap. “But I had to see for myself. How is he?”

“I’m pleased you did, Sanada-kun,” Yagyuu said. “And I’m sure Niou will be once he is awake. The initial tests look better than my father had hoped. It seems the Petenshi is far stronger than any of us knew.”

“That’s good,” Sanada said. “Yagyuu, this won’t happen again, but I’m sorry I slapped you yesterday. You’re the only one who was doing the right thing and I overreacted.”

Yagyuu had to work not to smile. He and Sanada had been dancing around the idea of dating since the start of the school year, but between Yukimura’s illness, the loss of Kantou, and now Niou’s illness, they hadn’t had a chance to really talk. He stood and went over to the other boy. “I was never truly mad at you, Sanada-kun,” he said. He reached over and cupped the bruised cheek. “Niou said that you’re the only one who didn’t blatantly reject him. You just faded into the background and, while it hurt him deeply, it wasn’t as deep a wound as the others caused. I was mad at your actions and attitude, not you.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Sanada said softly. He put his hand over Yagyuu’s and stared at him.

“I suppose not,” Yagyuu admitted. “This is hardly the time or place to ask you out, Sanada-kun, but once Niou is healthy again, will you join me for dinner?”

Sanada smiled and reached up with his free hand to take off his hat. “Of course,” he said, eyes hopeful.

“Good,” Yagyuu whispered. He slipped his hand around behind Sanada’s head and used it to pull him in for a soft kiss, free hand wrapping around the other boy’s waist. Sanada’s hands went to Yagyuu’s shoulders for balance; he felt a little stunned from his first kiss.

“You realize that caring for Niou is my first priority,” Yagyuu said pulling back a little. “I won’t abandon him.”

“I don’t want you to,” Sanada replied. He smiled and reached over to trace Yagyuu’s cheekbone. “What can I do to help?”

Yagyuu’s smile changed from caring to preditary. “Actually, there is something you can help me with. I’m worried Shiraishi-kun is going to show up and cause me problems.”

“Tarundoru,” Sanada muttered. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you, Genichiro,” Yagyuu whispered leaning in for another kiss.  
*********************

If Niou had been awake and able to, he would have smiled. Yagyuu had waited way too long to make his move on Sanada and Niou was glad he finally had. He was slowly getting used to the floaty awake but asleep feeling, but not the constant pain. Niou really wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and hide, but he couldn’t. He knew he had IVs and other things attached to him and needed to stay on his back, no matter how much he didn’t want to. Maybe they would let him move when he woke up.

Niou really wanted to know what Sanada and Yagyuu were planning for Shiraishi. Honestly, if his heart hadn’t been so broken, Niou would have worked out a wicked prank to warn the other boy away, but he’d lost interest in pranking about a week before Yukimura shut him out completely. He would have to get Yagyuu to fill him in on the details when he woke up. Niou loved it when people underestimated the Gentleman; it always made the end result so much sweeter. Yagyuu was equally as dangerous as Niou, if not more so in some instances. It was just one of the things that made them such good doubles partners and best friends.

He wasn’t sure, however, how he felt about having Sanada around. The fukubuchou was so serious and it was possible that he’d put a damper on some of the plots and pranks Niou and Yagyuu schemed on a daily basis. But Niou also knew how long his best friend had been wanting to ask Sanada out, and he knew the relationship would only be good for the both of them. And maybe once Sanada found out about sex, he wouldn’t be so uptight all of the time. It certainly couldn’t hurt, and it would make Yagyuu happy too.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day passed much the same for Yagyuu; homework and talking to Niou during the day and a visit from Sanada and Yanagi after tennis practice. Yagyuu was disappointed none of the others had come to visit and planned to talk with them as soon as he could. Sanada assured his new boyfriend that no one from Shitenhoji had been around the school and he was keeping a sharp look out for them.  
Yukimura was conspicuously absent, and Yagyuu only hoped the buchou was thinking about what he was going to say to Niou and hadn’t run off to Osaka to be with Shiraishi.

Niou’s IVs were also reduced late that evening as they prepared to wake him up and start reteaching him to eat. Yagyuu-san had ordered anti-cramp medication and his wife had been cooking, saying that she wasn’t going to make one of her favorite boys suffer what they called food in the hospital. Ultimately, however, the main concern was to Niou’s mental state when he woke up. But for that they had to just wait and see.

The first thing Niou became aware of as he woke up was warm arms around him. “Yeahgyuu?”

“Welcome back, Niou,” Yagyuu said. “How do you feel?”

“Sleepy and sore.”

“Father warned that you would be, but he wants you to try and drink something before we let you sleep again,” Yagyuu said. “What would you like? Mother brought your favorite white ginger tea.”

Niou smiled. “Okay,” he said. “Thanks, Yagyuu.”

“Of course, Niou.”

“About time.”

“For what?”

“Making your move.”

Yagyuu blushed and pushed his glasses back into place. “It just happened.” He handed Niou a small cup of tepid tea and sat down on the bed. “Father has you on some medicine that should keep your stomach from cramping. Give it a try.”

“How long do we have to do this?” Niou asked as he sipped the tepid liquid.

“You won’t bounce back from something this severe in a week, Niou. Father suspects it will be months before you are close to normal, and that’s optimistic at best. He did say, however, that you can at least attend Nationals, even if you can’t play.”

“We have to play, Yagyuu. We’re the top doubles pair in Japan and we have to prove it,” Niou protested.

“I’ll be happy to prove it next year if it means you have a chance to get healthy again. Do not push yourself for me, Niou. I’d rather have you on the bench cheering for Rikkai than back in the hospital.”

“Fine,” Niou grumbled. He finished the tea and handed the cup back to Yagyuu. “Will you tell me what you’re going to do to Shiraishi?”

“I’m leaving that up to Genichiro, should Shiraishi-kun show his face at Rikkai.”

“Just a suicide slap then. That’s no fun.”

Yagyuu sat back down on the bed so he was facing his best friend. “Niou, how much do you remember from when you were unconscious?”

“Everything, but I had weird dreams. Yukimura was here talking to you and you were really mean to him.”

“That wasn’t a dream.”

Niou stopped and blinked a couple of times. “He was really here?” 

“Yes.”

“Why? I figured he’d be off with Shiraishi. That’s what he wants. Having me out of the way should have made things easier for him.”

“I don’t know how best to answer that, Niou. But Yukimura-kun told me that he cut off all contact with Shiraishi-kun because he loves you and wants you back.”

Niou looked both furious and sad at the same time. Yagyuu scooted forward and gathered Niou into a tight hug. Niou collapsed against his best friend and let the tears fall. “Why?” he gasped. “Why is he doing this?”

“I don’t know,” Yagyuu replied, rubbing Niou’s back. “I didn’t want you to be blindsided if Yukimura-kun comes to see you again, Niou, but I didn’t want to cause you pain either. I’m sorry.”

“Why can’t I hate him?”

“Because you have a big heart,” Yagyuu said. “I wish I could tell you what to do, Niou, but I can’t. You have to make this decision for yourself. But I’ll be right here the whole time. I won’t leave you alone again. I promise.”

“Does that mean I have to kiss Sanada when we switch?”

“Tarundoru!”

Yagyuu snickered. “You saw him come in, didn’t you, Niou?”

“Puri.”

“If you feel well enough to joke, you can sip some more tea before bedtime,” Yagyuu said. He gave Niou a squeeze and sat back. “Hello, Genichiro, how was morning practice?”

“Yukimura was there and mentioned something about coming here during lunch” Sanada replied. “How do you feel, Niou?”

Niou looked away towards the window. It had been so long since anyone on the tennis team, other than Yagyuu, had spoken to him directly that it made him uncomfortable. But he had to try for Yagyuu’s sake because Sanada was his boyfriend and Niou didn’t want to cause any more problems for his best friend. “I’m okay,” he said taking the tea from Yagyuu.

Yagyuu seemed to pick up on what Niou was feeling and stepped in smoothly. “Genichiro, were you able to get the stuff I wanted?” he asked.

“Of course, but I don’t understand why you wanted taffy, green apple gum and chocolates,” Sanada replied. “And vinegar.”

Niou snorted into his tea and started coughing. Yagyuu took the cup back quickly and helped Niou sit up. “The vinegar is for my mother, Genichiro. The candy and gum are for Niou and myself.”

“Okay,” Sanada said, obviously not convinced, but willing not to ask questions.

“Would I lie to my boyfriend?” Yagyuu asked. He walked over to Sanada and pulled him in for a soft kiss.

“I would hope not,” Sanada said when they broke apart. “I need to get back to school, my first class starts soon. Niou, I’m really glad you’re getting better, and I’m sorry for my behavior this past month. I swear it will not happen again.”

“Thanks,” Niou said. He waited until he was sure Sanada was gone and looked at Yagyuu. “Where are they?” he asked.

“It’s not a Petenshi trick,” Yagyuu said holding up a couple of empty syringes, “but it’s one the team will fall for.”

“I cannot believe you lied to your boyfriend,” Niou said. He took his tea back and sipped it carefully.

Yagyuu smirked, the light glinting off his glasses. “Puri.”  
************************

Yukimura was nervous. No matter how much he’d thought about it, he couldn’t work out why he’d been so ready to cheat on his boyfriend. He’d thought he was happy with Niou until the nightly chats with Shiraishi had started and Yukimura realized he was starting to feel something for the other buchou. At one point he was seriously tempted to take Shiraishi up on a weekend get-together, to see what it was like to surrender to someone else, but he hadn’t. And maybe that was the problem. He and Niou had been together for two years and they were only fifteen.

He took a deep breath and tapped on the door to Niou’s room and waited for Yagyuu to open it. He heard plastic and a muted thud before the door opened. “Is he awake, Yagyuu?”

“He is, Yukimura-kun,” Yagyuu replied stepping to the side.

Yukimura took a deep breath and walked into the room. “Masaharu,” he said softly. “I’m so sorry.”

“Why didn’t you say something, Seiichi?” Niou asked. “I can be anyone you want me to be.” His image swirled and Shiraishi was lying in the bed. “Is this what you want?” His image swirled again and Akaya looked up with teary eyes. “Or this?” Another swirl and Fuji’s blue eyes opened. “Anyone, Seiichi.”

“Stop it!” Yukimura cried grabbing onto the back of the chair to keep his balance. “I don’t want any of them, Masaharu! I only want you. No one else can come close to you in my heart, no matter how stupid I might have been. You’re the only one I love. The only one I want.”

“Then why were you thinking about someone else when we were together?” Niou asked as he reappeared in the bed. It was obvious using his illusions had taxed him and he leaned back against the pillows, shoulders slumping in defeat. “Do you know how much it hurt to hear you say another boy’s name when you climaxed? To have you close your eyes and know you were picturing someone else under you? Seiichi, I love you, but I have to know why. Why did you do this?”

“I don’t know. I’ve thought about nothing else since your collapse and I just don’t know,” Yukimura replied. He stepped closer to the bed and took Niou’s hand. “I hate myself for how I’ve treated you, Masaharu. I’ve missed you so much and wanted to talk with you, but I was afraid. I wanted to work things through in my own mind before I told you anything. I had no idea that you knew about Shiraishi and our conversations.”

Niou snorted and looked towards the window - and Yagyuu. “I’ve known since the weekend after our matches with Shitenhoji,” he said almost bitterly.

“That long? Masaharu, why didn’t you say anything?” Yukimura asked.

“What was I supposed to say?” Niou asked in reply. “You started pushing me away almost immediately after that and then the others followed your example. I tried to pretend that everything was normal, that you still loved me, but our last time together you barely even touched me and had your eyes closed the whole time. You stopped seeing me in your bed a month ago, Seiichi. And now I think it’s your guilt more than anything else that has you here.”

“No, that’s not true, Masaharu,” Yukimura exclaimed. “My heart stopped when Renji told me you had been hospitalized and was dying. I thought I would never have the chance to tell you how much I love you. That I want you with me for as long as possible.” He reached out and turned Niou’s head towards him gently. “You are the Petenshi, Masaharu, the master of deception. How could I possibly lie to you?”

Tears filled Niou’s eyes. He didn’t want to say it, he wanted Yukimura back so badly that it hurt, but he knew there would always be doubt if he just gave in and forgave Yukimura immediately. “You can’t, Seiichi, but you can lie to yourself,” he finally said softly. “You did figure something out, but you don’t want to tell me.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Yukimura insisted.

“You should let Niou be the judge of that, Yukimura-kun,” Yagyuu commented. “Niou, this is chicken broth my mother made. Will you give it a try?”

Niou shook his head. “The smell is making me sick,” he said turning away. “Please, Yagyuu, not yet.”

Yagyuu sighed and moved away to poor it back into the thermos. “You’ve finished the white ginger tea,” he said reading various labels, “and Father said nothing with sugar for two days, which rather limits our options, Niou.”

Yukimura staggered back into the chair and sat down heavily. He hadn’t realize how sick Niou really was until that moment. “I could go and get more tea, Yagyuu,” he said softly.

“Niou?”

“Is there mint?”

“Uhm, yes.” Yagyuu pulled out another thermos. “It seems my mother was more prepared than I thought.”

“Thanks,” Niou smiled taking the cup. “What are you going to tell your dad?”

“That you are managing water and tea with no apparent problems, but the smell of food is making you sick,” Yagyuu sighed. “And see what he suggests. Mother didn’t pack anything solid yet, though it is possible that father might let you try crackers or white rice.”

“Masaharu, why?” Yukimura asked. “Why did you let yourself get so sick?”

Niou shrugged. “I just didn’t notice,” he said. “I don’t remember a lot of this last month.”

“How do you not notice? You are an athlete, Niou Masaharu, and you should know better than to let yourself fall into such a state.”

“I’m sorry, buchou, but maybe I had more important things on my mind,” Niou snapped.

“There is nothing more important than tennis!”

Niou’s eyes filled with tears and only Yagyuu’s reflexes saved the tea from spilling on the bed as Niou collapsed. Yukimura’s eyes widened and his hand flew to his mouth when he realized what he’d said. Yagyuu gathered Niou into a hug and glared at Yukimura. “Get out,” he   
hissed. “Now.”

“Masaharu,” Yukimura said softly.

“No,” Niou sobbed. “Never call me that again.”

Yukimura’s eyes widened further as Niou’s words sank in and he fled the room, the sound of Niou’s sobs echoing in his ears.  
***********************

Yagyuu held Niou through the worst of the tremors and then settled him back in the bed only long enough to join him. “Don’t leave me, Niou,” he whispered over and over again, fearing a mental breakdown more than anything else. He’d have to ask Sanada to deal with Yukimura.

“I’ve always known that tennis is the only thing Yukimura loves,” Niou hiccuped. “I should’ve told him to go sleep with his racket.”

“Niou!”

“Don’t tell me you weren’t thinking it.”

“Aside from a very disturbing mental image, I believe that is physically impossible, Niou,” Yagyuu said. “I feel like beating him with his racket. We warned him to watch what he said in here.”

“I’m not some girl.”

“Of course not, Niou, but think about it from my father’s perspective. You stopped taking care of yourself and almost died as a result. Can you blame him for being worried about your mental state?”

“No.” Niou wiped his eyes and slumped back against his pillows. “I really want a nap, Yagyuu.”

“Then sleep.” Yagyuu kissed his best friend’s forehead softly. “I’ll talk with my father and see what he wants us to do next.”

“Why couldn’t I have fallen in love with you?” Niou murmured as his eyes closed.

Yagyuu wasn’t surprised by the question, although he didn’t know if Niou even knew he’d asked it out loud. He did love the Petenshi, but not in the way that Niou had meant, and he knew that Niou felt the same. Life would be much simpler if they could fall in love, but it just wasn’t to be. At least, not yet.


End file.
